Saved
by ScrapEls
Summary: My take on the aftermath of S03E01. I do take a bit of liberty with the end scenes though.


_For M (you're not a serial killer!) and I, too. Love you both to pieces. _

She was cold. The straps of the slip she was wearing were bloody and on her wrists were angry red slashes that made him wince just looking at them. Her face was tear streaked and she stood, holding her arms tight around her, shivering, as he approached her with a thick, lined police jacket that he knew would warm her up in no time.

'Is Duke okay?' was the first thing she asked, her voice threaded with a dull pain. He helped her shrug into the jacket and his fingers lingered on the edges, wanting to draw her into a hug and hold her tight, just like she had when they first found her.

'He's fine.' She turned. 'Someone should be taking care of you right now.' He muttered and handed her her badge which she took with a little smile.

'C'mon. Let me take you home.' A hand on the small of her back, he led her to the truck. Helping her up into the passenger seat, he shut the door and got into his own seat. His hands shook a little as he gripped the steering wheel.

'I wonder where Wesley went.' She murmured against the window, barely loud enough for him to hear.

'To the mother ship?' he chuckled and she smiled slightly.

'Parker.'

She turned to look at him, her eyes curious but dull. He glanced at the road and then back at her face. A raw pain shot through his body as he remembered what she had said to him when they had first met after they had found her. How she had come running at the sound of him saying her name, her warm weight against him, the feel of her skin, damp with fear and the way she spoke without a pause.

_Nathan, he's still – he's still here, I heard him moving around and I didn't hear a car leaving and I'm pretty sure that he has Roslyn and I promised her nothing would happen to her. You have no idea what we've been through down there. _

_You have no idea what we've been through down there. _

She was right. He had no idea what she'd gone through in that basement. He could still remember the fear in her voice when she had called him, the way she spoke, her words so small and lost. He had never heard her voice laced with that sort of fear before and knowing that someone had brought that out, had brought the dull pain in her eyes that he could now see, made him want to kill the sick bastard.

'Nathan?' he snapped out of his reverie.

'Uh, nothing.' He said, focusing his eyes back on the road. She turned to the window again and pressed her feverish forehead against the cool glass.

'Almost there.' He muttered as he turned the truck towards the Gull. She nodded.

'Wait.' He said as he parked the truck and got out to help her. Her tiredness had finally caught up and she laughed a little embarrassedly as she struggled to stand straight, even with his arm helping her up.

'Don't protest.' Nathan said as he picked her up and kicked the door close with his foot. She made a little noise of protest but Nathan ignored her and carried her up.

'Really, Nathan, that was not necessary.' She smiled as he laid her down gently on the couch.

'Parker, you can barely stand anymore. Now tell me where you put your bandages.' He took off her shoes and picked a blanket off the bed that he threw over her.

'In that cupboard.'

He found the rolls stacked neatly in a corner of the cupboard she had pointed to and pulled up a stool to sit next to her.

'Did he do that?' he asked, gently taking her wrists in his hands and wrapping the bandages around them.

'No. I was tied up. I did that to break free. Sort of wished I had your trouble at that moment. Then I couldn't have, well, you know.' She ended with a embarrassed laugh.

He didn't say anything, just finished what he was doing and then put the bandages back. For a moment he didn't know what to do. He wanted to stay and comfort her but he had no idea how.

'I'll make us some coffee. You should have something hot.' He announced, looking around for mugs.

'Oh, Nathan, really, it's not necessary.' She protested weakly.

'Parker?'

'Yeah?'

'Shut up.'

She smiled. For a minute there was no sound but the clinking of spoons. Then she sat up as he came back and handed her her mug. Instead of the little stool, this time he sat down next to her and looked at her expectantly.

She blew on her mug and then tasted it apprehensively.

'A minute.' She said, setting it down on the table before her.

'We never had that pancake date, by the way.' She looked up at him, remembering her preparations and the way her heart had beat a little faster at the knock on her door.

'Well, you owe me pancakes then, Parker.' He smiled, and reached out to take her hand.

She picked up her mug with the other and grew a little serious.

'He – the man in the basement,' she felt his fingers tighten over hers but went on, 'he seemed to think I knew all about the Colorado kid. Seemed to think he was alive.' She turned to him.

'That's great. Maybe we can find him and get some answers.' He said, grabbing his mug and taking a sip.

'Maybe.' She took a sip too. 'Maybe it's time we got Vince and Dave to give us some proper answers. I bet you anything they know all about this and are just hiding it from us.' She sighed.

For a long time they simply sat there, holding hands and drinking coffee. Nathan could feel her small palm under his as he rubbed small circles on it with his thumb. She finished the last of her coffee and set her mug back on the table.

'Audrey.' He hesitated. 'It was really amazing. What you did today; helping out Wesley even though you had just been beaten up. I can't imagine what you went through down there.' He looked down at their hands, still clasped.

'I don't want you to let anything he said turn you inside out.' He went on, now looking at her pale face, tired and exhausted. Instinctively, he placed one hand on the back of her head and leaned in close to kiss her gently. She brought her hands around his neck and he felt her slow tears graze his face, and he could feel their wet tracks down his cheeks.

'We will get answers, Audrey. We will find the Colorado kid. Together.' He whispered fiercely as they broke away, holding her by the shoulders firmly.

'We have to talk to Vince and Dave.' She murmured against his chest as he hugged her tight.

'Tomorrow, Parker.' He buried his nose in her hair.

Slowly he felt her relax under him and he was just about to get up and lay her back on the couch and go back to the station to file a report when he was surprised by her weak grip pull his hand back.

'Will you – will you stay till I fall asleep?' she asked, her voice small against his shirt.

'Of course.' He hugged her close and settled back with her in his arms. Slowly her body grew heavy with sleep and he watched the fire die out. She had only asked him to stay till she fell asleep but he stayed even after, cradling her, afraid of disturbing her if he moved. In her sleep, Audrey whimpered his name and as a wet spot appeared on her shirt, he realized he had been crying.

He just couldn't feel the tears.


End file.
